Man charged after chase an officer was nearly hit

A Huntingtown man was arrested yesterday in Harwood after a police officer was almost hit by a pickup truck at the end of a five-mile chase, authorities said.

Craig Robert McDaniel, 39, of the 1300 block of Avery Road in Huntingtown was charged with assault with intent to murder, assault, resisting arrest and driving while intoxicated.

Mr. McDaniel remained in jail yesterday in lieu of $105,000 bail.

The incident began shortly after 3 a.m., when Officer Keith Hoffman saw a man drive a 1989 Ford pickup to a Mobil station on Southern Maryland Boulevard near Plummer Lane, police said. The truck drove past the pumps to the back of the station, then headed north on Southern Maryland Boulevard, police said.

Just south of Mount Zion-Marlboro Road, the driver pulled into a park-and-ride lot, where Officer Hoffman questioned him because "of the unusual and suspicious nature of his actions," the patrolman noted in his report. During the questioning, Officer Hoffman reported, he noticed that the driver's eyes were red and swollen and that his breath smelled of alcohol.

Officer Hoffman asked to see the man's driver's license and later ordered him out of the truck. Police said the man refused and drove south on Southern Maryland Boulevard.

At Mount Zion-Marlboro and Solomons Island roads, Officer Samuel Worsham joined the chase. The man drove north on Solomons Island Road, turned east on Grays Road and stopped at a house being built at the end of the street, police said.

Both officers drew their service weapons and approached. Officer Worsham ordered the man to put his hands where police could see them, but the truck quickly backed up as Officer Worsham came near, police said.

Officer Worsham jumped out of the way to avoid being hit. The truck stopped and went forward, forcing Officer Worsham to leap from its path a second time. Officer Worsham then approached the truck from the rear. Again the driver backed toward the officer, who fired six shots.

The man then drove back onto Grays Road and into the woods, where he was forced to stop because of foliage, police said.

The driver refused to get out of his truck, police said, and Officer Gary Wheeler broke a window so that police could get to the driver.